Best Well Rounded CB/10 Meter Radio For The Road ?

I agree but and there is a but... but the problem is using some of the radios that are not intended to be "converted" means that they have poorer receive qualities compared to a radio that is a straight CB.

That said, almost all of them, with one or two exceptions are basically all the same inside, there isn't much difference between a cobra and a galaxy on the design and build end. People can say there is but really look closely to the design and you will see.

 

Yup, everyone has their own opinion on what's the best. Im a bit of a radio nut, and couldn't pick just one anyway. Exports are glorified cbs, and all that I've ever used had noisy(some would say sensitive) recieve. Some worse than others. Its due to the component values, circuitry and filtering in the radio. Converting them to cb has nothing to do with it, thats what they're made for. Not dogging exports, I run 'em myself, they are what they are.

Most of the more popular export radios, like galaxy, connex, gen lee, mirage, and others, are actually made by ranger. Some are the exact same radio on the inside. If you were looking at a galaxy 33hp, a connex 3300hp, and a gen lee, just pick which face you like best because they're the same radio on the inside. If your radio says its made in maylasia, its most likely made by ranger.

OO Newbie, if you're looking at exports, imo I would stay away from the higher powered radios, anything over 100 watts output. Basically, there's too much heat in too small of a box, and its just a matter of time before they fail. I would look at a dual final, 50 watt radio, and add an amp if you want more power. Again jmo. Good luck

 

I second the Mirage 36HP...I have one I've been using for about two years, and no issues... Has about the same bells and whistles as the General Lee, and swings about the same (40-50w range) both the 36 and General Lee will run you around the $200 mark, and Yes both are built by Ranger.

If you want SSB, there's a Mirage 86HP which is basically the same as the 36, only it has SSB.

 

All my radios are old and have the Toshiba 2SC 1969 finals. And, I have a extra set of finals and drivers for each radio just in case. I'm pretty careful and have never blown a final.......oh no, I just said "never"!.......

 

My humble suggestion would be to avoid the "export radios" altogether. Changing the jumpers to allow the radio to work within the U.S. CB frequency range but without putting the radio on a well-stocked service bench *by a qualified tech* to align the radio to favor the CB frequencies is a waste of time and electrical energy. All for a few more watts and some annoying noise toys being built in.

I've got gear for (and appropriate licenses) to cover from around 135 KHz to over 20 GHz. My service van has a Cobra 25 that's been (if I may toot my own horn) expertly aligned to work as it was made to. If I *need* the extra 16-or-so-dB of power output, I can switch in an RM Italy KL-203 amplifier. By using an external amplifier, if either the amp or the CB driving it fails, I can jumper around the amp or just put in a spare CB and be back on the air until the offending piece of gear is fixed.

If your 50-watt (or bigger) export dies, you're S.O.L. until you install something else.

Actually, in most places in the U.S. if I felt I needed more than the 4 or 5 watts from my stock CB to get through, I'd switch to another band and either use a repeater, or another HF band. Simply boosting my 4-watt CB to around 80 isn't going to make my receiver hear any better. Being able to be heard 15 miles away but only being to hear stations 5 miles away isn't all that useful.

For all the export radio users who get told by other operators that they sound awesome, there will be another 9 ops who can't even get a useful on-air radio check. My radios are all tuned to stock -- power, modulation, frequency accuracy -- and I get more repeat business from drivers and other users who *do* get legitimate compliments, from other drivers and from "second opinion" radio "shops" who look at their radios after they've been over my bench.

It all depends largely upon whether you want to be the loudest, splatter-iest radio who can kill every other user's chance to be heard when you key down, or if you want to be heard, understood, and get the answers you need because your radio (and you) reflect good, courteous operating practice.

Again -- in case it got lost in the shuffle -- put your $$$ into a decent antenna and a substantial metallic counterpoise *immediately under* the antenna's mounting position --- not way off to the side, or six feet down at the end of a piece of braid or copper flashing.

73

 

So you have a part 5 license?

 

Depends on the technician who tuned the radio. A Cobra 29 tuned by Fine Tune CB Shop will talk and hear 3 times further than a Magnum S9 tuned by Bobs CB Shop.

 

I have several old Galaxy radios that still talk great.

My new one is Galaxy 98vhp.....Bought it and had it tuned from Bell's CB..
Super clean audio with a Ranger mic...rock solid for 2 years now.
Swings well over 200 watts..

talked from south Florida to Mass one evening riding up I-75.

 

I noticed Bell's has the 94 HP that does 240 to 260 watts PEP....
Those are good radios.....They have the 4 Mosfett finals on a ranger board.

 

I talk all over the world on a stock rci ranger 2970n2, with no bs mods or out of spec tuning. I had a complete alignment done on it and it sounds like a million bucks, I am told. It deadkeys 100 watts on am and peaks about 230 watts on sideband, with the bias and amc pots set to factory specs. The radio has loud, crystal clear audio and doesn't splatter all over like most cbers do. I would say that the Galaxy 94 or 98 would be the best radios for am work, and the ranger radios for serious sidebanding. Stay away from the bs peak-n-tune super modulator crap.